More than 2.5 billion US dollars has been obtained from foreign tourists who visited Ethiopia during the past nine months, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Dr Hirut Kassaw, Minister of Culture and Tourism, said while presenting her Ministry’s nine-month performance report to the Parliament that over 500,000 tourists visited Ethiopia’s tourist destinations in the reported period.
She said the country secured a total of 2.57 billion US dollars from the various service offered to them, she indicated.
Dr Hirut also told the Parliament that the country’s tourist attraction sites were visited by 23 million local visitors.
The Minister further said restoration and renovation works on Axum obelisk, Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela and Jimma Aba Jifar Palace will commence soon.
Moreover, necessary documents were sent to register Dirre Sheik Hussein and Sof Omar Cave as well as Ashenda, girls and young women’s festival, in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) list of cultural heritage. (FBC)